Chasing Yesterdays
by My Name Is NOT Jessica
Summary: Adopted by KaylaAnonymous. Don't worry, she's good! I promise.
1. Chapter 1

Max PoV

Ever since Fang left things have changed. Everywhere I look I see something that reminds me of him. I don't know why I haven't killed myself yet.

Scratch that. I do know. I still have my Flock. Don't doubt that they're the only reason I'm still here. But they're different now too. Quieter. Sadder.

Angel still blames herself. She doesn't talk anymore. She only communicates with her mind, even then not often.

Gazzy used to be my little trooper. Always optimistic, enthusiastic, resilient. But now he's just angry at the world. He's only nine and life has been hard on the little guy.

Nudge is....nothing. She doesn't talk as much. She doesn't dress like a miniature model anymore. She hardly ever expresses emotion. Only sadness. She's lost her....her....Nudgeness.

And Iggy. Do you remember when we got taken to the School the second time, right after they got rid of the Erasers? Well, now Iggy's like he was then. Hopeless. Just going through the motions.

And as for me, I try to be strong for my little guys, but sometimes it just hits me all over again. That he's really, truly, _gone_. That he's not coming back. That I'm in this thing alone. And then I just want to curl up in a ball and lay there forever.

I can't go on without him. Which is why I have to go.

I took a deep breath before I walked into the kitchen, where everyone was clustered around the table. Iggy's blind eyes flicked up then back down. Angel couldn't look at me. Gazzy clenched and unclenched his fists. Nudge didn't even look up, just stared dully at the table.

"Guys," I said. "We can't go on like this."

Iggy shrugged. "What can we do?" he said hopelessly. "He left."

"I'm the one dragging you guys down." I said sadly. "I'm nothing without him."

Gazzy looked at me, and for a second I could almost see the nine year old he tried to hide beneath layers of hate in his eyes. I almost broke down crying right then.

I choked back tears. _Be strong Maximum_ I told myself. "So I'm leaving." I said simply.

Four pairs of shocked eyes met my gaze.

"If I ever find him I'll be back." I promised. "But without him I'm useless. You'll all be better off without me."

Iggy was the first to speak. "You're....leaving?"

Nudge's bottom lip trembled. "Max, no! First him, now you too?"

Gazzy glared at me. "Don't leave us Max."

"You'll be better off without me." I said again.

In the six months since he left, Angel hadn't spoken a word. But now she did.

"If you're going to look for Fang we're coming with you." She had that stubborn look on her face, the one that told me to brace for a storm.

"Angel," I began tiredly.

"We're coming with you." Iggy interrupted. I could almost see a spark of the old Iggy in his unseeing eyes.

I opened my mouth to argue, but Nudge cut me off. "You know you don't want to do this alone." she said, a bit of Nudgeness gleaming just below the surface.

"He was our Fang too." Gazzy put in. That was when I melted.

"Okay, okay. You can come." I allowed.

"Excellent!" said Angel. Looks like she was back to talking. "When do we leave?"

"Dawn." I said without hesitation. Why had we waited so long? This was the right thing to do. We would be in our usual situation. On our own, searching for what wasn't there, danger at every turn.

"No doubt it'll be dangerous," I said.

"When is it not?" Iggy sounded almost excited. I could understand. This was totally our element.

Grinning, I held out my left fist. Iggy placed his on top of mine, then Nudge, Gazzy and Angel.

"Flock," I said. "There's one hand missing from this stack. And I swear I won't rest until I find who it belongs to. Now who's with me?!"

They cheered, and suddenly I thought of how much I would've missed them if I went alone.

We're coming to find you Fang. You Goddamn fool.


	2. There's always a plan

** HEY! A great big mega thanks to everyone who reviewed and stuff! Y'all are awesome!!!! Really, I 3 you all in the nonweird way! **

**Disclaimer time!**

** _I, THE AUTHOR OF THIS PARTICULAR FANFICTION, HEREBY DECLARE THAT I DO NOT, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM OWN THE MAXIMUM RIDE SERIES OR ANY AND ALL CHARACTERS IN THE AFOREMENTIONED SERIES. THIS DISCLAIMER SHALL ACCOUNT FOR ANY AND ALL CHAPTERS IN THIS PARTICULAR FANFICTION, INCLUDING THOSE POSTED PRIOR TO THIS EXCEEDINGLY LONG DISCLAIMER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VALUABLE TIME._**

**On with the story!**

Max PoV

We'd packed backpacks full of food and supplies the night before, so we were able to leave literally at dawn. One by one, we launched ourselves into the cool morning air and flew west, away from the bright rising sun.

We really didn't have a plan, other than to check everywhere Fang could possibly be. First on our list was the vacation home we'd stayed at twice. Since it was early fall, there was the possibility that he was staying there temporarily. After that, we would check the cave with the hawks near Lake Mead. I remembered how he'd said to meet him there in twenty years if we were still alive, and I swallowed and blinked back tears. Sometimes Fang was so...Fangish I could just strangle him.

But not really.

While we were in the area, we would check up on our personal hell on Earth, otherwise known as The School, to see if it was regrouping, abandoned, or what. Plus, there was always the possibility that Fang had been captured.

After The School, we would go to L.A., New York, Virginia, and finally Florida. Which would complete everywhere of significance in the U.S. If we hadn't found him by then, we would head to our old nemisis's Headquarters in Lendeheim.

Itex.

Dun dun DUNNN!

So, basically, that was our plan. It wasn't exactly a blueprint of Westminster Abbey, but, hey, it works. Especially since Angel had developed a new skill. (Surprise, surprise.) It was basically a psychic radar. She could tell if someone whose mind she had read before was near. The more she had read the mind, the stronger the signal she recieved. It was quite scary.

Of course, Fang might not be at any of those places. But I tried not to think about that.

We reached the vacation house seven hours in. We landed in the driveway and cautiously approached the house. There were no cars in the driveway, which didn't neccessarily mean anything, but I still found myself holding my breath as broke in through the window as we had both times before. What if he was here? What if he was really here?

In the living room, the dust hadn't been disturbed in at least a few months. I let out my breath in a whoosh, and disappointment filled me.

"Max?" Nudge called from outside.

"He's not here," I answered, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice. "But come in anyway. We need to refuel."

"Great," said Nudge, climbing in through the window. "Well not the part about Fang not being here but the part about about refueling, 'cause I'm starving."

"Glad to see you're back to your old self, Nudge." I said sarcastically as I rummaged through the cupboards. Sure, we had food in the backpack, but why should we use that when there was more right here? Conserving resources, people! Or whatever.

About fifty cans of ravioli later, we were all zoning out in the living room. "I need a nap," Gazzy muttered, eyes half closed already.

"We should rest," I agreed sleepily.

We all woke up at about one o' clock in the morning. Iggy stuffed some of the leftover cans in a backpack quickly before we headed out. You can never be too prepared, especially when you're a teenage mutant bird freak with a bunch of other bird freaks to look after.

We'd been flying for about an hour when the Erasers attacked.

They seemed to come out of nowhere, swooping up from the clouds, which we were flying above.

"Holy--!" I heard Iggy yell, and then it was all chaos. I saw one coming at me with his fist cocked back to pound into my head, and dodged out of the way. I flew up behind him and slammed both my feet on his wing, causing him to fall out of the sky like a rock. The air was our territory, they should really learn to attack when we're on the ground.

I dropped another out of the sky with a roundhouse kick, and was about to punch one in the back of the head when I heard Iggy shout "Fire in the hole!". And when Iggy says that, you _move. _I grabbed Angel by the arm and flew straight up, Iggy and Gazzy went down, and Nudge to the side.

Just in time, too. About a half a second later, a massive fireball engulfed the swarm of Erasers. When the smoke cleared, there was only two left, and they retreated.

Iggy cackled maniacally, and then he and Gazzy high fived. "Okay," I admitted grudgingly. "Maybe bombs are helpful sometimes."

"Maybe?!" Gazzy scoffed. "That was freaking awesome!"

I just shook my head in exasperation and then we flew off.

But I realized something.

They didn't want us to find Fang.

**Okay, so how was that? It was my first attempt at a fight scene. Did I do okay? Review and Chuckle The Unicorn will give you a hug! And who doesn't want a hug from Chuckles?!**


	3. Remembering

** Heyy people! A special thanks to Bluejaygrl98, bluemoon9, emotionalpoemgirl, and cjfed95, who reviewed and added this to their Story Alerts!!!!! You guys rock! Chuckles will give you your hugs as soon as possible, but he's busy conducting traffic in the space-time continuum right now.**

** Also, thanks to my best friend, JpFreak100, who helped me get over the writer's block that was eating away my soul. Everybody, check out this person's story "doggy love"!!! The girl can _write_!!!!!!!!!!**

**ON WITH THE STORY!**

Fang PoV

I tried to keep moving. For six months, I was never in any one place for more than a week. Sometimes I just wanted to give up and go back, I missed her so much. But I left to protect her, so I kept moving on.

But, damn, it was hard. I didn't want to be found, but at the same time I had to stop myself from flying back some nights.

Right now I was in New York, it was easy to blend. I didn't really have a mission, other than stay alive, stay away, and stay sane.

It's a lot harder than it sounds.

And I had to quit the blog. They could find me if I kept writing it. Then we'd have to go through this again. And then I might die.

Or worse, Max might die.

Then I would definitely die.

Just to be with her.

At that point, I almost launched myself out of the tree I was in. But I stopped myself, and tried to calm down.

Again, it's a lot harder than it sounds.

A lot.

There was something stuck between two branches of the tree. Something small and flat. I pulled it out. It was....a bank card? What was a bank card doing in a tree? Puzzled, I flipped it over, and a memory came floating back to me. Over a year ago, we'd lifted someone's bank card in California. And when Max found another with her name on it, we'd left the old one in a tree.

A tree.

In Central Park.

Oh, God.

I dropped the card like it was poisonous and shouldered my backpack. I couldn't stay here. I would wander the streets all night if I had to. I didn't want to remember way back then. Things were a lot simpler back then. We just ran. We were inseparable. And now I was here alone.

I checked to make sure there weren't any late night joggers out and flew out of the tree, landing softly near the edge of the park.

I walked out into the street. It was really late so only a few people were out. I decided to go down in the subway tunnels again. In the cave thing, with all the homeless people. I'd stayed there a few times in the past week.

It was about one a.m. when I fell asleep.

I woke up three hours later.

In a dog crate.

Max PoV

So, we were two days into our mission and people were already trying to kill us. Must be a new record. Or something.

Today we were checking the cave with the hawks, which was a major red dot on the "Ways To Remind Myself Of The Way Things Used To Be" map. Yay.

The sun was just starting to set when we flew up, and God it was beautiful. It made me think of way back when we first came here, right after we broke Angel out. When we talked about how "home" was where ever we were all together.

I hadn't been "home" in a long, long time.

The sun was turning everything red, orange and gold. We cast long shadows on the rocks as we came in for landing. Once again, my hopes started to get up that he might be there.

Only to be crushed.

But not completely.

Because Angel found a candy wrapper on the ground inside the cave. The wind couldn't have blown it inside where she found it. And tourists didn't usually climb one hundred feet to just get to one measly cave surrounded by vicious hawks.

Fang had been here.

**Okay, so I have a confession to make. I have no idea where Dylan is in this story. So, I'm holding a contest! Whoever can come up with the best reason why Dylan isn't here will get an extra hug from Chuckles, and I might use it here, unless I come up with a better reason myself! So no promises. Review with your answer!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Max PoV

So, we were three days into our search and we hadn't found Fang yet. Even though I knew it wouldn't be that easy (God forbid should anything come easily to us!) a part of me was still disappointed. Okay fine, most of me was practically crushed. But there was no way I was giving up. Not after just two searches.  
Not after a million searches. Maybe it's my fatal flaw, but I never give up on someone I love.  
It could be your fatal flaw if you continue this mission .  
I jumped. I hadn't heard from the Voice since, oh, three months ago. Voice. Long time no annoy.  
Max, It sounded almost urgent. Please don't continue this mission. You have to trust me.  
I think not. I thought snidely.  
You don't understand. Fang has no hope left. He'll be dead soon, if he isn't already.  
"Max?" Nudge asked, noticing my expression. I held up my head in a "wait" gesture.  
Where is he?  
Silence.  
Where is he? I swear if you've disappeared again I will find out who you are and kill you!  
Calm down. I haven't "disappeared".  
Yes, and that makes me sooo calm. Tell me where he is! I mentally shouted.  
Captured.  
I didn't answer. I was too busy flying as fast as I could toward the only place he could be: The School. The others scrambled to catch up with me. "What's going on?" I heard Angel ask. "The Voice just told me Fang's been captured."  
"Ohhhh." I slowed down a bit so they wouldn't be left in the dust. Max, please, forget Fang. There's no way you can save him.  
Oh yeah? Watch me.

Fang PoV

Let's take inventory of the situation, shall we?  
Went to sleep in a subway tunnel: Check.  
Woke up in a dog crate: Check.  
Dizzy, was probably drugged at some point: Check.  
Whitecoats all over the place: Check.  
No Max: Check. As Max would say, this reeked of "Eau de School air". God, I miss her so much.  
But the fact that she wasn't here meant she was somewhere safe. Safer.  
Whatever. Then again, this might be the Institute. Or that one place in Florida. Heck, for all I know I could be in Venezuela. Or Papua New Guinea. Hmm that might not be so bad. I could hang out here after I escaped. But with my luck it was probably the School anyways.  
God, I hope Max doesn't somehow know about this and try to rescue me. As much as I want to be found, I will not allow myself to be found. I realized that I left so I could go die alone and I hadn't (obviously) died yet. Max is probably out looking for me somewhere. She knew how to track someone, she knew all the places I would probably be. But I knew how to hide. I would hide, and run, not for my life. For her's. But still, this is Max we're talking about. She would find me eventually. It's inevitable. The only way to keep her safe is to stay away. But when she's so determined to come closer, there's only one thing I can do to make sure she won't get hurt. I'll have to die.  
Okay, okay, calm down people. I'm not suicidal (yet). I'm just saying, if someone tries to kill me, I won't stop them.  
I'll probably be dead by the end of the week.

Max PoV

There it was. The ultimate evil scientists' lair. My childhood home. The School. Which is not, in fact, a place of learning and friendship. I felt myself begin to slow down my flying subconciously. I automatically recoiled from it. No surprise.  
I mentally commanded myself to suck it up. Fang was in there. We landed on a cliff about a quarter of a mile from the School, so we could still see it with our raptor vision. I got some binnoculars from the backpack and started to watch the School.  
"Sooo Max, what's the plan?" Nudge asked. "Are we just gonna, like, storm the gates or something? Or sneak in at night? Or we could pretend to let them capture us so we can get inside, and then, like, turn on them and get Fang and run out! But maybe that wouldn't work... I think we need a diversion or something. We could-"  
Gazzy clapped his hand over Nudge's mouth. She talks even more when she's nervous. If that's possible. Despite my uneasiness, I smiled at Nudge's suggestions. "Just recon for now," I said, looking through binnoculars at the School. "Then what am I supposed to do?" Iggy asked, stuffing his face with some sort of food substance from the backpack. "The blind guy can't do recon."  
"How many bombs do you have?" I asked.  
Iggy thought about it. "Six," he admitted.  
"Make more." He looked surprised. "Really?" he asked in voice like he couldnt believe his ears. "You're giving me permission to make stuff explode?"  
"No." I said. "I'm ordering you to. So take it seriously, and don't set anything on fire. Yet."  
Iggy and Gazzy high fived then started working on something that looked suitably dangerous.  
"Angel, are you getting anything from the School?" I asked.  
She shook her head. "Some stuff, but I'm too far away to tell if Fang's in there. He might be, he might not be. I'm sorry Max."  
I ruffled her hair. "It's not your fault sweetie. Don't worry about it."  
She smiled up at me. It reminded me of Angel before the whole thing with Dr. Gurgle-Hummer. I wondered if I'm getting my old Angel back. I smiled back at her.  
She was probably reading my mind, because her smile disappeared, and she said "Max, I'm sorry. About turning on you. I was wrong. I get it now."  
I looked at her. Yes, she was wrong. But she was sorry, and she gets it now. She's just a kid. A kid who's had more hard decisions and times, more confusion and been put through more cruelty than most sixty-five year olds.  
I gave her a big hug. "I forgave you a long time ago," I said. She smiled at me gratefully, and turned back to the School. It was time for our specialty.  
A rescue mission. I smiled.


	5. Adoption

Dear Readers,

Thanks for all your love and support. Unfortunately, I can no longer support this story. It's been adopted by one of my best friends, KaylaAnonymous. She's a great writer and we have similiar styles on this story, so please go to her and add it to your Story Alerts there. Thanks again!

-Jessyka


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